News

Residents are at the edge of their seats as the cities of Claremont and Riverside compete neck and neck, logging points at a steady rate to take first place in the 2014 CoolCalifornia City Challenge.
As of Tuesday, September 9, Claremonters participating in the challenge have racked up 1,626,501 points, gaining almost 30,000 points in the five days since our last update. Riverside maintains its first place status and continues to lead the pack with 1,705,248 points.
Claremont is only 78,747 behind Riverside…we can still take them!

Rev. Dr. Ignacio Castuera, a Mexican-American civil and human rights leader, has joined the board of directors and southern California advisory board for the nation’s leading end-of-life choice organization, Compassion & Choices.
A resident of Claremont, Rev. Castuera will advocate for the recently launched Compassion & Choices’ campaign to allow death with dignity for terminally ill, mentally competent adults in California.

Passersby stop to gawk at the Planters peanut truck called the NUTmobile on Monday on First Street in Claremont. The whimsical vehicle has been on a tour of the United States visiting supermarkets to promote Planters' products. No one seems to know why it was parked in Claremont but many people stopped for a photo. COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff

At their Thursday, September 4 gathering, members of the Claremont Unified School District Board of Education voted to approve an addendum to the contracts of Superintendent Jim Elsasser and four key district staffers.
Mr. Elsasser was first hired a little more than two years ago, with his contract extending from June 1, 2012 to June 30, 2016. Thanks to a unanimous vote by the board, the superintendent’s contract has been extended for an additional year, with his tenure as head of the district going through June 30, 2017.

Claremont resident Betty Crocker chats with a group of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies on Saturday during the seventh annual Keeping the Good in the Neighborhood street fair in Claremont. The festivities included food trucks, music from the LCR band, a silent auction, a Dale Bros. beer tent, police and firefighter displays. Ms. Crocker, who is the driving force behind KGNH, hoped the event would raise enough money that the city of Claremont could buy a second police dog. COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff

Claremont resident and soon-to-be centenarian Dorothy “Dot” Finerty set out on a sunny Wednesday afternoon to check off another item on her bucket list. After weeks of preparation, the lifelong Dodger fan got called up from the bullpen to throw out the first pitch at Dodger Stadium on Senior Day.
“My son asked what I wanted for my birthday, and I wondered if it’d be possible to throw out the first pitch at a game,” Dorothy said. “It looks like that’s going to happen.”
COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff

The American Museum of Ceramic Art (AMOCA), in conjunction with the Claremont Museum of Art, will host HM100: A Century through the Life of Harrison McIntosh. To honor Mr. McIntosh’s 100th birthday, HM100 will feature 100 ceramic artworks that recount the life and work of this world-renowned artist. Both AMOCA and Mr. McIntosh share a common birthday on September 11. The public is invited to celebrate AMOCA’s 10th and Mr. McIntosh’s 100th birthdays on the opening night of the exhibition Saturday, September 13 from 6 to 9 p.m.

Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center (PVHMC) has been ranked as one of the best hospitals for 2014-15 in the Los Angeles metro area by US News & World Report. The annual US News Best Hospitals rankings, now in their 25th year, recognize hospitals that excel in treating the most challenging patients.

The city of Claremont issued a demolition permit this week for the residential development planned by William Lyon Homes, at the southwest corner of Base Line Road and Towne Avenue.
The demolition will include the removal of an existing abandoned concrete and stone water tank located towards the easterly side of the site, fencing south of the tank, a chain link fence along the western edge of the property along Towne Avenue, several ornamental trees on the eastern portion of the site and pavement leading to the former location of the strawberry shed

The city of Claremont has filed a protest in the 2016-2018 Golden State Water General Rate Case, according to a release posted on the city’s website.
As a party in the case, Claremont’s legal counsel attended a pre-hearing conference on September 2 before the Public Utilities Commission in San Francisco. Also attending the conference were representatives from Golden State Water Company and the Office of Ratepayer Advocates.

Sustainability planning is a global concern and Pomona College’s efforts toward becoming a more sustainable campus continue to inspire.
Projects such as the Solar Rover, a mobile solar station used to power campus events and activities as well as programs like Clean Sweep/ReCoop—which involves collecting unwanted items at the end of the school year and reselling them at discounted prices—aim to promote responsible living within the Pomona College community.

The Claremont Chorale, the premier community choral group in the greater Claremont area, begins rehearsals for its 47th season, featuring a wide variety of choral works.
New singers, especially men, are welcome to join the current membership of 70 voices. Interested singers are encouraged to schedule an audition by contacting Gregory Norton, Chorale director, at director@claremontchorale.org or by calling (626) 797-3656. Singers may also sit in on rehearsals Monday, September 8, 15 or 22, from 7:30 to 9:45 p.m. at Decker Hall at Pilgrim Place, to get a feel for the group before scheduling an audition.

The Claremont Kiwanis Club is hosting its sixth annual Route 66 Party on Friday, September 19 at the Doubletree by Hilton in Claremont starting at 6 p.m. Tickets to the event are $40 pre-sale or $45 at the door.
The evening includes a buffet dinner and dancing to music by The Ravelers, as well as a casino, silent auction, a photo booth and bingo. Opportunity tickets are $10, or three for $25, giving participants the chance to win $1,500 or $500 or $200.

A sample of mosquitoes collected from traps placed in Golden Hills Wilderness Park in La Verne on August 12, was tested and found positive for the West Nile Virus, according to the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District.
Vector control officials have already intensified surveillance and control efforts in the foothill communities to prepare for the seasonal emergence of this virus.
The best precaution against West Nile is to prevent mosquito bites.